Sunday, December 29, 2013

Two more bald eagles were found this week on the verge of death from a mysterious illness, bringing the total of sick eagles in Utah to nearly two dozen. At the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah, bald eagles are arriving faster than ever before. Since Dec. 1, the facility has received nine birds, though only four are still alive. Across Utah, 21 bald eagles have been found with the mysterious illness this month, according to the rehab center. And of those 21, 16 have died. One of the eagles was found in Farmington Creek, suffering from the same symptoms as 16 other eagles that died. Another one, less than a year old, was found in the West Point area on Christmas night.

Two more bald eagles were found this week on the verge of death from a mysterious illness, bringing the total of sick eagles in Utah to nearly two dozen. At the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah, bald eagles are arriving faster than ever before. Since Dec. 1, the facility has received nine birds, though only four are still alive. Across Utah, 21 bald eagles have been found with the mysterious illness this month, according to the rehab center. And of those 21, 16 have died. One of the eagles was found in Farmington Creek, suffering from the same symptoms as 16 other eagles that died. Another one, less than a year old, was found in the West Point area on Christmas night.

In a revelation given on March 7, 1831 about the signs and wonders to attend the Second coming, Joseph Smith stated in Doctrine and Covenants Section 45 that "desolating sickness shall cover the land" in the last days.

Sickness is defined as a state of the body in which the organs do not perfectly perform their natural functions. It is when we are in a defective or unsound condition. We tend to think that a sickness is only physical, but sickness can also describe a people who are not living in harmony with God and how He would have us treat others. I offer the following true story to illustrate this:

There was a native tribe that lived in peace and harmony for hundreds of years. Every day the routine was the same. Hunters would go out from the tribe to gather food and returned back from the hunt with the food to share equally among the members of the tribe.

No one went hungry when food was available. Not even the weak, the sick, or the elderly. One day the most skilled hunter said, "I am the best hunter, I kill more than my share of deer, why should I share the bounty of my hunt?"

And from that day forward, he began storing his meat in a high mountain cave. Then other skilled hunters said, "We kill more than our share of deer too, shouldn't we have the right to keep the bounty of our hunt?" And then they too began to store their meat in high mountain caves. And then, something began to happen to the tribe that never happened before. Some people, especially the old, weak, and the sick began to go hungry, while others were well feed.

In fact, it became so common place that no one thought it was unusual that others were starving while others had more than they needed. And what is even more strange, the tribal leaders began to teach their young to emulate the hoarding habits of these few.

Now that story isn't true because it happened, it is true because it is happening. We are that tribe.

There is one fundamental law that nature obeys that mankind breaks everyday. Now this is the law. Nothing in Nature takes more than it needs. For example, the Redwood Trees do not take all the soil nutrients, just what it needs to grow. A Lion doesn't kill every gazelle, just the one he needs to food.

When something in Nature takes more than it needs and breaks that fundamental law, it will eventually die off.

We have a term we use for the body when it takes more than it's share. We call it Cancer.

From the book, Man's Rise to Civilization by Peter Farb is that "Traditional cultures considered the idea of accumulation of private property beyond your needs was considered a mental illness." Truly, a "sick" human being would find joy and happiness in having too much of what one needs.... while others go without. Greed, Selfish, and Pride is one of the desolating "sickness" that covers our land.

A prophet of God who saw our day, said the following, "NONE save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel,... and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted."

Besides our greed and lack of helping those in need, there are very real desolating sicknesses that is covering our land. This news story is extremely foreboding and symbolic. Bald eagles are dying in Utah — 20 in the last few weeks alone — and nobody can figure out why. The Bald Eagle is a powerful symbol of the United States, a symbol of our Freedom. Earlier this month, however, hunters and farmers across five counties in northern and central Utah began finding the majestic birds lying, listless, on the ground. Many of these birds suffered from seizures, head tremors and paralysis in the legs, feet and wings.

Two more bald eagles were found this week on the verge of death bringing the total of sick eagles in Utah to nearly two dozen. At the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Utah, bald eagles are arriving faster than ever before. Since Dec. 1, the facility has received nine birds, though only four are still alive. Across Utah, 21 bald eagles have been found with the mysterious illness this month, according to the rehab center. And of those 21, 16 have died.

A few days ago, I drove early in the morning into downtown Salt Lake. I couldn't help notice the unhealthy and polluted air that we breath. I quickly took a photo of the rising sun as I passed the refineries just west of downtown Salt Lake.

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Photo taken December 27, 2013 on the I-15 southbound freeway driving into downtown Salt Lake City.
The State Capital and the LDS Church Office Building can be seen in distance the smoggy air.